Monday, 12 June 2017

5 Windows all-in-one PC alternatives to Apple's new iMac Pro

Apple recently
announced a powerful all-in-one, the iMac Pro. But guess what? Apple wasn't
first to that party.

Despite what
marketing hype may try to make you believe, Apple isn't necessarily the pioneer
in computing that it once was. The iMac for years was the best all-in-one
computer you could buy, and it became an iconic part of the Mac lineup.

But times change.
The Windows hardware ecosystem now arguably leads comfortably when it comes to
many key factors: performance, price, and design in particular.

At WWDC 2017, Apple this week dropped
the curtain on the iMac Pro, its most powerful computer ever. It is basically
an iMac with much more powerful insides and a different color. Oh, and a high
price tag. But it's also not the first time a company stuffed seriously
high-end hardware into an all-in-one PC.

So, if you're a
Windows user or just don't want to wait until December for the iMac Pro
release, check out these great Windows 10 PCs that are available now.

Origin PC
Omni

One thing you most likely can't do with the
iMac Pro is open up the back and replace or upgrade its parts. Origin doesn't
believe that an all-in-one should be sealed, and so you can whip off the Omni's
back cover and make the upgrades you want.

Not that you necessarily need to. The great
thing about Origin PCs is that you have a huge range of custom options to
choose from when you have it built. So you can go up to a 10-core Intel Core i7
6950X, 32GB of RAM, RAID 0 or RAID 1 storage, and a full-size NVIDIA GTX 1080
graphics card. Or you can build something less powerful, and less pricey.
Because you have the ultimate choice. But the upper limit for how much you can
spend is very high, limited only by your desire and your wallet.

In the front, you're looking at a 3440 x 1440
resolution, 34-inch curved display. While in some areas the iMac Pro might
boast some better specs, it's not nearly as customizable or easily accessible.
It also doesn't have a clear panel option to see all the glorious hardware
inside. Omni does.

The Digital Storm Aura is somewhat similar to
the Origin Omni, namely because it's a glorious ultrawide all-in-one that's
highly customizable. It, too, is a 34-inch curved ultrawide with a 3440 x 1440
resolution display.

Inside, you're able to choose from a variety
of options that go up to a Core i7 6800K, 32GB of RAM, GTX 1080 graphics card,
solid state drive (SSD) and hard disk drive (HDD) storage and liquid cooling to
keep everything running nice and frosty.

It uses regular parts and lets you get inside
and upgrade them as you see fit. We'll never turn our noses up at a PC maker
that supports upgrades. It's not cheap, though, and you'll be looking to spend
from $2,000 to $3,500, depending on exactly what you want.

While Microsoft may (for once) lose out on
the raw power stakes, it wins in the innovation arena without breaking a sweat.
While Apple is going after creatives who crave power (and probably macOS), if
you want to draw on the Apple machine, you're out of luck.

The Surface Studio reset the bar for what an
all-in-one PC can be with that unique hinge that allows it to fold down flat
for drawing and writing. Throw in the Surface Dial, and you've got a digital
art studio.

What you lose in raw power you make up for
versatility, and in that glorious 28-inch, 4500 x 3000 resolution touch
display. But it's still capable, with up to 32GB of RAM, Core i7 processor and
an option for a 4GB NVIDIA GTX 980M GPU. The Studio is more about the display
and what you can do with it than what's inside it.

What if you just want a powerful, upgradeable
all-in-one that doesn't have a crazy-wide screen or something that's as exotic
as the Surface Studio? Enter the Lenovo Ideacentre Y910, a beefed-up version of
the company's regular all-in-one.

The 27-inch display is 2560 x 1440 and matte,
but it lacks touch, and inside you get options such as a full size NVIDIA GTX
1080 graphics card, Intel Core i7, 32GB of RAM and a combination of SSD and HDD
storage.

It's an innovative design in its own right,
too. The power supply is in the stand, leaving more space in the back for
everything else. And you get better cooling. Compared to how much the iMac Pro
is probably going to cost, this is a steal at around $2,000.

The XPS 27 from Dell is unlike any other
all-in-one PC on the market right now, mostly for the 10 speakers on it
pointing at you. But it's not all about the sound, and the latest refresh keeps
it towards the top of the power stakes.

You'll now find an 8GB AMD RX 570 GPU paired
with an Intel Core i7-7700 processor, 32GB of RAM, up to 2TB of storage and a
stunning 27-inch 4K display.

Dell hardware both looks great and is well
built, and the XPS 27 can be had (minus dedicated graphics) from $1,549. The
range topper comes in at $2,749, but you've one heck of a lot of PC for it.